Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2009-10: Linus Arnesson played for Djurgarden’s U18 and U16 teams as a 15-year-old and competed for Stockholm 1 in the 2010 TV-Pucken tournament for Sweden’s high school players. Playing alongside prospects like Mika Zibanejad and Pontus Aberg on the U18 team, Arnesson scored 2 goals with 6 assists in 22 games and was +26 with 14 penalty minutes. In five U16 games he scored 2 goals with 1 assist. Arnesson scored 1 goal with 2 assists in eight games as Stockholm 1 captured the gold medal in the TV-Pucken tournament.

2010-11: Arnesson appeared in nine SuperElit games for Djurgarden’s U20 team while spending most of the season with the club’s U18 squad and appearing in three U17 games for Sweden in international play. He was -2 with no points and 2 penalty minutes in limited time with Djurgarden U20. Arnesson scored 2 goals with 6 assists and had 12 penalty minutes in 21 games for Djurgarden U18, which captured the U18 silver medal. Arnesson scored 1 goal with 1 assist in five playoff games. In three international matches for Sweden he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and had 2 penalty minutes.

2011-12: Arnesson appeared in three Swedish Elite League games for Djurgarden, seeing limited ice time. He was the leading scorer amongst defensemen for the club’s U20 team and skated for Sweden in two international tournaments. He scored 2 goals with 13 assists and was +7 with 20 penalty minutes for Djurgarden U20 and in three playoff games was +1 with 1 assist. He also played 13 games for Djurgarden’s U18 team, including four playoff games, and was +3 with 4 assists. He played four games for Sweden in the 2011 U19 World Junior A Challenge tournament in Canada and was scoreless with 8 penalty minutes. Arnesson played in six games at the 2012 U18 World Junior Championship and was +3 with 4 penalty minutes for silver-medal winning Sweden.

2012-13: Arnesson suited up for Djurgarden’s men’s team in Allsvenskan (the club was relegated to the second division following the 2011-12 season). In 31 regular season games he gathered 1 assist with 8 penalty minutes and a -3 rating. He also suited up for four promotion round games with no points nor penalty minutes. Arneson played a total of 15 times for the club’s SuperElit U20 team, gathering 1 goal, 3 assists, 22 penalty minutes and a +1 rating. He played 20 U20 games for Sweden, including all six games at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, where Sweden took the silver medal. Arnesson had no points and was an even plus/minus with 6 penalty minutes. In non-championship play he collected 1 goal, 2 assists, 22 penalty minutes and a +3 rating. He played for Sweden’s U18 team at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August and was +2 with 1 assist in five games. Arnesson was ranked 13th amongst International skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by Boston in the second round (60th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft.

2013-14: Arnesson played for Djurgarden in Allsvenskan in his second pro season and was part of the silver medal-winning Sweden U20 team at the 2014 World Junior Championship. He scored 1 goal with 5 assists and was +2 with 36 penalty minutes in 44 regular season games. Djurgarden finished third in Allsvenskan and finished second in the six-team Kval series to earn elevation to the SHL in 2014-15. Arnesson had an even plus/minus with no points and 2 penalty minutes in six Kval series games. He had an even plus/minus with 2 assists and 4 penalty minutes in seven games for Sweden at the WJC. Sweden advanced to the gold medal game as the favorite, falling 3-2 to Sweden in overtime. Arnesson signed a three-year entry-level contract with Boston in May 2014.

2014-15: Arnesson made his pro debut in North America with Bruins’ AHL affiliate Providence, joining the club in March following the SHL playoffs. In 11 AHL games he scored 1 goal with 3 assists and was +3 with 6 penalty minutes. Arnesson had 5 assists and was -10 with 28 penalty minutes in 41 regular season games for Djurgarden and had no points nor penalties in two SHL playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Arnesson is a defensive defenseman with a lot of careful, secure actions in his playing style. His skating is smooth and he is a heads up player who is mobile and concentrates on shutting down the opposition. He is very good skating backwards with strong lateral movement and does a good job of reading space. Arnesson can be a tiger in his own end and uses his quick first step and sound agility to put on the heat opponents in his own end, particularly in the corners. He is not much of an offensive defenseman but his first pass is good and he can identify passing options.

Future

Arnesson is in his first full season in North America in 2015-16 after joining Boston AHL affiliate Providence following the SHL regular season in 2014-15. Slowed by an upper-body injury in mid-season, he has steadily adjusted to the grind and style of the game in North America with the P-Bruins this year as a 21-year-old. Drafted and signed by the previous personnel group in Boston, he projects as an effective shutdown defender.

With six draft choices in the first two rounds of the 2015 NHL Draft the Boston Bruins have several high-end prospects playing in junior hockey and at the college level. When it comes to pro hockey, things are equally promising as several players are either on the cusp of cracking the NHL lineup or are currently in their first season with the Bruins. Read more»

Photo: Skelleftea AIK forward and Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Holmstrom had a breakout season in the SHL in 2014-15 and was a driving force in Skelleftea’s run to the SHL finals (courtesy of Skelleftea AIK/Champions Hockey League via Getty Images)

The 2014-15 season in Sweden wrapped up a good month ago and was quickly followed by an exciting World Championship tournament that featured a Swedish team with a number of SHL, NLA, and KHL-based players – one that couldn’t get further than the quarterfinals, however. Read more»

Photo: Djurgarden Strategic General Manager Joakim Eriksson played for that club in his final pro season, posting seven goals and 25 points in 53 SHL games in the 2014-15 season (courtesy of Djurgarden Stockholm/Champions Hockey League via Getty Images)

After several seasons mired in Sweden’s Allsvenskan, the country’s second-highest pro league, the famed Djurgarden program of Stockholm, Sweden was back in SHL action and managed to finish ninth in the league in the 2014-15 season. This was not only a huge success in avoiding any chance of winding up in the relegation, but also of special note due to the fact that the team relied on many young, drafted players to achieve their success.Read more»

Photo: Timra IK forward and Nashville Predators prospect Emil Pettersson has had a good 2014-15 season in the Allsvenskan, posting 35 points in 52 games (courtesy of City-Press via Getty images)

The 2014-15 SHL regular season has concluded and, as is usually the case, the cream floated to the top once the final siren rang.

Leksand and Modo were the teams at the bottom of the totem pole, so both will face-off with no less than four teams from the Allsvenskan to try to stick in the SHL. It is widely felt that Leksand, a team that came on strong at the end of the season, thanks in good part to the strong contributions of 22-year-old undrafted defenseman Linus Hultstrom (10-23-33 in 48 games), will have little problem dominating this relegation round. But Modo’s squad will have its work cut out for it, despite having added Donald Brashear and then Marcel Hossa after losing William Nylander to Toronto Marlies. Read more»

Photo: HV71 forward and Nashville Predators prospect Kevin Fiala has scored at a nearly point-per-game pace so far in the 2014-15 SHL season (courtesy of HV71 Jonkoping/Champions Hockey League via Getty Images)

The 2014-15 SHL season is well underway and Sweden‘s hockey scene remains the most exciting in the European sphere for NHL fans. Serving as the European country that’s produced the most non-North American prospects over the past four drafts, the leagues are chock full of current and future NHL prospects. Read more»